Local Legislator and Rail Advocate Thanks Governor and DOT for Funding Centralized Traffic Control Signal System as “Crucial Element of a Modernized Commuter Line”

Improvements Will Ease Pressure on Roads and New Haven Line

State Rep. (and Sen.-Elect) Toni Boucher today hailed $2.5-million in state funding for a Centralized Traffic Control signal system as a crucial element needed to create a modernized commuter rail line along the Danbury to Norwalk travel corridor.

“This is the only rail line in America where a trainman still has to get off the train and manually pull a switch in order for one train to pass another,” said Rep. Boucher. “With this computerized signal system, the Danbury Line can begin to mo ve into the modern era at last.”

“With strong support from local commuters and my office, this project will move forward,” said Rep. Boucher. “We thank Gov. M. Jodi Rell and the state Department of Transportation for heeding the call of the Danbury to Norwalk area.”

“Not only will a modernized rail line help commuters, but also businesses along heavily traveled Route 7 who are impacted by traffic congestion,” added Rep. Boucher. “As more people ride the rails, there should be an environmental and quality of life benefit to residents and businesses along Route 7.”

“This is an important development for the entire region–even for those that have not taken this train and or do not plan to do so in the future,” said Rep. Boucher. “If we vastly improve the Danbury-Norwalk line, and more people ride it who now catch the train at Westport, New Canaan, South Norwalk, Darien or on the Harlem Division, more train seats and parking spots will open up at those congested train stations.”

The state Bond Commission, headed by Gov. Rell, meeting Friday, Dec. 12, in Hartford,  approved $2.5 million authorized through 2006 state legislation, An Act Concerning the Roadmap for Connecticut's Economic Future. The 2006 law authorized $1 billion in new state Special Tax Obligation bonding for strategic transportation projects and initiatives.

Other Danbury Line Initiatives
This is the latest po sitive development in a multi-year effort to revitalize the 23-mile Danbury Branch line, according to Rep. Boucher.

“We were successful in making this a stand-alone project and not combined into a 10-year plan to upgrade the entire line,” Rep. Boucher added. “This signalization cannot wait and must be done first before other improvements can be made.”

Other initiatives that local commuters and Rep. Boucher have advocated include:

Rail Electrification. Connecticut DOT is in Phase II of a feasibility study of electrifying the line.

Cannondale Station.20A new restroom facility with running water and bathrooms that opened in October 2008.

Rail Bed Upgrade. Railroad ties currently are being replaced to provide a safer, smoother, faster commuter ride.

Keeping the Focus on Mass Transit
“The signal upgrade will help to improve and add capacity to this very important line for our area,” said Rep. Boucher. “However, much more needs to be done.”

“Our commuters have been burdened for years,” she added. “They have tolerated faulty equipment, inflexible schedules and poorly maintained rail cars. I asked to serve on the legislature’s Transportation Committee two years ago and pushed for a new upg rade study to vastly improve this line. I now serve as a member of its advisory panel and have been educating Hartford on the value Connecticut receives from mass transit.  

“There is a reason that mass transit has made slow progress in Connecticut,” Boucher said. “For decades, no one believed in or understood public transportation.  Transit budgets were drained to build new highways in remote parts of the state while Hartford neglected the state’s economic engine in Fairfield County and our vital train links.
“During my first term as state Representative, leadership and DOT proposed permanently closing the Danbury Branch rail line and replacing it with buses. This would have placed 1, 200 more cars on our roadways. It took a strong campaign and determination to save our railroad, but we did.
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“Over the last 12 years, I have continued to fight to keep the Danbury Branch Line alive, stopped fare increases, and made my colleagues understand the economic advantages of improving service.  That work is finally paying off for our communities, with expanded parking at the rail stations in my district (and more to come), increased mid-day train service, and commitments for the signal upgrades that will modernize the line and allow for faster, more frequent service.”

“We are changing attitudes in Hartford. As an advocate for our rail lines, I will continue to fight to keep our state focused on parking, station enhancements and more frequent, faster rail service.

“Along with high gas prices, more people are discovering the advantage of mass transit.  It is the lifeblood of our communities and our state’s engine of growth.

Rep. Boucher is senator-elect for the 26th Senate District of Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton.

She currently serves the 143rd Assembly District of Wilton and Norwalk in the state House of Representatives.
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House Republican Press Release